Ken Blake immortalised in metal

As part of the recent Ken Blake Festival, held in Ken’s home town of Strathalbyn, South Australia from October 26-28, a life-sized statue of the 11-times Australian champion was unveiled. The work of former mainstream advertising artist James Stewart from Goolwa, it stands on a prominent council block right on the corner of High and Grey Streets, across the road from the Robin Hood Hotel where Ken would enjoy a beer with his work mates from Gilbert Motors when doing his apprenticeship as a panel beater/spray painter. Stewart constructed his work from ‘found’ objects – mechanical parts of all shapes and sizes welded together – and took three and a half months to complete. The statue was officially unveiled by the Governor of South Australia, His Excellency the Honourable Hieu Van Le.